Dare
by HotpantsHeather
Summary: A Janitor/Elliot fic in which Dr. Cox wagers that the Janitor could NOT get a kiss from Elliot without tricking her.
1. Chapter 1

Another fic! Whoop! Janitor Elliot type stuff again. Reviews are appreciated. This will be a chapter fic.

* * *

The Janitor was in a pickle. He stood squared off with the one and only Dr. Percival Cox. The Janitor didn't know that his name was Percival because if he did he would make a mockery of the senior doctor, but no, he only called him Dr. Cox, or poodle-y doctor, or even just hey you. Although they had their differences they did often get along. The Janitor found that if he didn't bother Dr. Cox then Dr. Cox didn't bother him.

Not today.

Today, blond doctor was racing behind him, trying to get a question answered. Dr. Cox came to a halt at the nurses station and Elliot began chatting hurriedly to him. The senior doctor looked at her and whistled in her face. Elliot started and he told her to hurry off before he did something awful to her. Elliot did as she was told.

The Janitor watched her go, wondering why it was so hard to be nice to someone who tried so hard. He turned to Dr. Cox and mopped his shoes. That made him feel better.

The good doctor looked at his shoes and then at the Janitor. He crossed his arms at him. The Janitor shrugged.

"Blond doctor is nice," he told him and Dr. Cox narrowed his eyes at him.

"Oh, are you still on about that?" The doctor picked up his charts and crossed his arms again. He looked at the Janitor with a smirk. "Aw, is that that school-boy crush you have for Dr. Barbie? Because by god, Janitor, why don't you just run slow motion down the hall and take her in your arms because she would just love that, she would just love it!" Dr. Cox looked at him and smirked.

"She likes me," the Janitor assured the Doctor. "More than you think."

"Really? IS that why you had to trick her into a date? Hmm? Because I think girls like her don't like guys like you."

So it was true, but Dr. Cox didn't know it.

"I wouldn't have to trick her," he said. "For anything."

"Even a kiss?"

"A kiss?"

"A smack-a-rooney!" Dr. Cox smiled, thinking himself champion of this round against the Janitor.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"You will?" Dr. Cox looked at him, first slightly surprised and then he smiled at him. "Okay, let's wager something a little less worthy this time," he said and set his clipboard down and smiled at the Janitor. "A kiss, on the lips, something semi-passionate, and no tricking her into it like saying you have some cherry lip gloss on your lips or something that Barbie would go for! A real kiss, are you up for the challenge?"

"Yes I am," the Janitor said and smirked. "What are we wagering?"

"Eh, twenty bucks?"

"Done and done," he agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

The night was cool as the Janitor stood on the exit ramp of Sacred Heart. He held two cups of coffee, both steaming in the perfect night. He was waiting patiently for Elliot to get off of work. First he saw Dr. Cox head to his Porsche with only a smile. He was going to make the poodle-y haired doctor feel silly. Yes, that is how it would be.

Finally, Elliot descended the ramp toward him. She spotted him and slowed her pace.

"Hi, Janitor… are you waiting for someone?" she looked around him and then at the Janitor. He held the cups up.

"I got coffee, for us both," he told her and Elliot hesitantly took one of the cups from him. "I know we're past this, really, but I need a date to this party…" he told her. Elliot watched him carefully as he spoke. "A friend of mine is going away and I said I'd go to the party with a date."

Elliot took a sip of her coffee, wrinkling her brow at the Janitor.

"Why me again?"

"You're the only person who doesn't fear me," he said and Elliot made a thoughtful face. "And you said that you actually enjoyed yourself the first time we went out."

Elliot had enjoyed herself when she was out with the Janitor the first time. He seemed a lot less crazy in the real world than he did in the hospital. Perhaps that was the problem, the Janitor's catalyst was the hospital. She looked at him for a moment.

"Yeah, okay," she said and he smiled.

"Your chariot awaits!" he insisted, showing her to his van.

* * *

The Janitor pulled his van up to a house that was already bouncing with activity. Elliot stepped out of the vehicle and looked the house over.

"Wow, where's your friend going?" she asked as they made their way up the walk to the front door.

"We're not sure really…" the Janitor said and stepped into the open front door, leading Elliot along with him.

"You're not sure?" she asked and he shrugged at her. "What sort of party is this then?"

"Well…it's really more of a wake…" he told her and Elliot's eyes widened in surprise. He shook his hand at her and made a face at her. "Well, I said he was going away."

"You didn't say he was dead!" Elliot said in a high pitched whisper-yell. "You tricked me!"

"I did not trick you. His one dying wish was for me to bring a date to his wake. I told him I would do it and I have. He can go to wherever he is planning on going happily now."

The Janitor spoke to a few people around them, introducing Elliot as Blond Doctor or his Blond Doctor. She smiled awkwardly at the people whom were giving condolences to each other for a man she'd never met. When the Janitor offered her a glass of wine she gladly accepted.

When the wake ended Elliot climbed into the Janitor's van. She looked him over, with a slight haze from her wine. Even though it was a wake, she had enjoyed herself with him again. What was it about the Janitor that Elliot seemed to like? Perhaps it was the fact that he was unfazed by her over the top childhood stories? Maybe the fact that he could make her laugh? Whatever it was he continued to do it and Elliot found herself having fun every time she went out with him. Be it to a wake, or on an actual date.

He drove her home. A gentlemanly gesture of sorts.

He walked her to the door. She turned to him.

"Why this time?" she asked, hands on hips.

"Why what?"

"Why did you take me out? Did Dr. Cox tell you to try something again?"

"Yes," he told her after holding his breath for a moment. "He dared me, but not to take you on a date."

"What then?" She asked and took a step toward him.

"A kiss," he admitted.

"Well, you're not making it easy," she said, catching him by surprise.

"What?"

"I can't kiss you if you're all the way up there…" she said and took him by his lapels and he leaned down to her.

His hands went from his pockets to her hips and their lips met.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day did not hold what the Janitor had expected.

He did not wake up in her bed.

He was not pulled into her place by the front of his shirt, kissing wildly in the darkness of the hallway.

He awoke in his own bed, with a wine headache from the night before. He sat in his bed for a moment, trying to piece together the bits of the night before.

He had won the bet with Dr. Cox. He had won, definitely. He had won by telling the truth. He had won.

Something about those words made the victory a twinge more bittersweet. Tiring even. This dance he was insisting on putting himself through with Blond Doctor made him tired and even sad. He'd managed a kiss, but now what? Twenty bucks?

Was it worth it, really? What was it worth, if Elliot would never do it again?

* * *

The Janitor made his way into the lounge where Dr. Cox sat. He stood before him.

Cox whistled. "Move it or lose it," Perry told the man towering before him. He couldn't see the TV around his head. The Janitor switched it off.

Perry growled.

"Shut up," the Janitor insisted and held a twenty out to the doctor.

"What? What is this?" Perry took the money from the taller man and looked it over. "Are you forfeiting?"

"No, I couldn't get a kiss from Blond Doctor. Thereby, I lose the bet. The dare. The whatever you want to call it," he told him and Dr. Cox smiled a smile of victory.

"Ooh, this is great. Just awesome, Janitor. So, what did happen? I saw her leave with you."

"A friend wouldn't ask and a gentleman wouldn't tell," the Janitor insisted and walked away from the Doctor.

* * *

Elliot stood before the supply closet as the Janitor approached. He looked at her and her nervous posture.

"Hello, Blond Doctor, how goes it?" he asked cheerfully.

"Janitor," she said and looked at him. "Did you already tell Dr. Cox?"

"About how I lost the bet by attempting to trick you into a kiss? Yes," he told her and smiled. "It's been handled."

"You didn't have to…"

"I only told the truth."

"Janitor, you're a pathological liar," Elliot said looking up at him through long eyelashes. The Janitor smiled.

"You owe me one. You can take me somewhere next time," he said to her and Elliot smiled as well. "Deal?"

"Deal," she whispered and leaned up, kissing him on the cheek and then hurrying away before anyone could notice.

**Sorry this chapter was so short, I'll make it up to you all at some point. :3 **


End file.
